While jambalaya isn’t difficult to make on the stovetop, it’s still SUPER hot here, so I like to use my slow cooker when I can. Everything in this easy Slow Cooker Jambalaya recipe is cooked in one pot, including the rice. Cooking rice like this might sound like a mushy mess, but as long as you add it at the very end, you can control the texture a bit more and get good results! This slow cooker recipe is simple comfort food at its best and perfect for busy weeknights or lazy weekends.
What Is Jambalaya?
Jambalaya is a popular rice-based dish originating from Louisiana, believed to have been inspired by the culinary influences of the French, Spanish, and African cultures there. It’s a natural “budget” recipe because it combines flavorful and inexpensive cuts of meat (smoked sausage and chicken thighs) with bulky and inexpensive ingredients, like rice, onion, celery, and bell pepper. Some recipes also add seafood, but I skipped that to keep costs down. Add a good handful of spices, and you have a super filling and very satisfying meal that freezes well and reheats effortlessly in the microwave. Total winner.
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this slow cooker jambalaya recipe:
- Celery, Onion & Bell Pepper: Known as the ‘holy trinity’ of Cajun and Creole cooking, these veggies provide the base flavor for this recipe.
- Garlic: A little minced garlic adds depth and flavor.
- Smoked Sausage: The type of smoked sausage you use DOES matter. Andouille sausage is the traditional choice, but you can use any smoked pork sausage you like. More on why the type of sausage matters below.
- Chicken Thighs (Optional): Boneless and skinless chicken thighs are flavorful, inexpensive, and don’t dry out when they’re cooked in the slow cooker.
- Dried Herbs & Seasonings: Dried oregano, thyme, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, and freshly cracked pepper add a ton of flavor to your crockpot jambalaya.
- Canned Diced Tomatoes: Adds liquid to cook the rice and thickens the broth.
- Fresh Parsley: I mix fresh parsley into my slow cooker when I add the chicken broth.
- Chicken Broth: Use homemade chicken broth or your favorite store-bought brand.
- Rice: Use long-grain white rice for this recipe, not instant rice.
- Green Onions: For garnishing.
What Type of Sausage To Use
This recipe depends greatly on the sausage you buy, which accounts for about half of the flavor in the dish. I had one of those “small changes make big differences” moments at the grocery store and bought smoked turkey sausage instead of regular smoked pork sausage, and I kind of regret it. But hey, it all depends on your priorities. Just be aware that the sausage can make or break this recipe. And while I think you could easily skip the chicken thighs to reduce the meat load of the dish, do not skip the smoked sausage.
Jambalaya vs Gumbo
Both dishes are delicious and are integral parts of Cajun and Creole cuisine, but they’re distinct in their own ways. Jambalaya is a one-pot rice dish, while gumbo is a thick stew or soup made with a dark roux (a mixture of flour and fat) as a base. Gumbo can be served with rice, but it’s not cooked with the other ingredients like in jambalaya.
There are also some differences in the ingredients used, but both dishes typically include the holy trinity of vegetables (onion, celery, and bell pepper) and a variety of protein options. It’s mainly the preparation and serving style that sets these two dishes apart!
How to Store
This slow cooker jambalaya recipe makes about 10 cups total (when made in a 5-quart slow cooker), so you’ll probably have some leftovers! Let everything cool before storing it in airtight containers in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can also freeze individual portions for up to 6 months. Let it thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating in the microwave—yum!
Slow Cooker Jambalaya Recipe
Servings 8 (about 10 cups)Ingredients
- 3 ribs celery ($0.37)
- 1 yellow onion ($0.42)
- 1 green bell pepper ($0.87)
- 2 cloves garlic ($0.16)
- 12-16 oz. smoked sausage* ($3.49)
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (optional) ($1.13)
- 1 tsp dried oregano ($0.10)
- 1 tsp dried thyme ($0.10)
- 1/2 Tbsp smoked paprika ($0.15)
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper ($0.05)
- Freshly cracked pepper (15-20 cranks of a mill) ($0.05)
- 2 15 oz. cans diced tomatoes (or one 28oz. can) ($1.98)
- 2 cups chicken broth ($0.26)
- 1/4 bunch fresh parsley, chopped ($0.20)
- 2 cups uncooked long grain white rice ($0.96)
- 3 green onions, sliced ($0.23)
Instructions
- Finely dice the celery, onion, and bell pepper. Mince the garlic. Add the celery, onion, bell pepper, and garlic to the bottom of a 5 quart or larger slow cooker.
- Slice the smoked sausage into rounds or half moons and add them to the slow cooker, along with the chicken thighs, oregano, thyme, paprika, cayenne, and freshly cracked pepper.
- Pour the diced tomatoes and all their juices over the meat and spices in the slow cooker. Add the chicken broth and a handful of chopped fresh parsley. Stir briefly.
- Place the lid on the slow cooker, turn the heat on to high, and cook for four hours.
- After four hours, the liquid in the slow cooker should be boiling. Carefully remove the chicken thighs, making sure to replace the lid quickly. Shred the meat and stir it back into the pot along with the uncooked rice.
- Make sure all the rice is submerged under the liquid, then replace the lid as quickly as possible so that it returns to boiling quickly.
- Let it continue to cook on high for 20-25 minutes, or until the rice has absorbed most of the liquid.
- Remove the lid, test the rice to make sure it’s tender, then stir to fluff the ingredients (don't stir too vigorously or the rice will become gummy). Sprinkle the sliced green onions over top, then serve.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
How to Make SLow Cooker Jambalaya – Step by Step Photos
Finely dice 3 ribs celery, 1 yellow onion, and 1 green bell pepper. Mince 2 garlic cloves. Add the celery, onion, bell pepper, and garlic to the bottom of a 5 quart or larger slow cooker.
Slice 12-16 oz. of smoked sausage into rounds or half moons and add them to the slow cooker, along with the 2 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp thyme, 1/2 Tbsp smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp cayenne, and freshly cracked pepper (15-20 cranks of a mill).
Pour 2 15 oz. cans diced tomatoes and all their juices over the meat and spices in the slow cooker. Add 2 cups chicken broth and 1/4 bunch of chopped fresh parsley. Stir briefly.
Place the lid on the slow cooker, turn the heat on to high, and cook for four hours.
After four hours, the liquid in the slow cooker should be boiling. Carefully remove the chicken thighs, making sure to replace the lid quickly. Shred the meat and stir it back into the pot along with 2 cups uncooked long grain rice.
Make sure all the rice is submerged under the liquid, then replace the lid as quickly as possible so that it returns to boiling quickly.
Let it continue to cook on high for 20-25 minutes, or until the rice has absorbed most of the liquid.
Remove the lid, test the rice to make sure it’s tender, then stir to fluff the ingredients (don’t stir too vigorously or the rice will become gummy). Sprinkle 3 sliced green onions over top, then serve.
I totes forgot my green onions! Which is a shame because green onions are such a quintessential flavor in slow cooker jambalaya. No worries, though. I still have leftovers that can get the green onion treatment! Leftovers for days cuz that’s how I roll.
Hi! Can I cook this recipe on low for 8 hours?
I don’t recommend low for this recipe because the liquid won’t come up to a strong enough boil to cook the rice.
This is an amazing recipe. I was worried that my rice wouldn’t get cooked easily as many of the comments have stated, but mine turned out really great after 30 minutes! I did make sure that the liquid was boiling and all the rice was submerged in it. This was a hit for the whole family. I substituted the chicken with shrimp and scallops, and it tasted great. Will make this again soon!
Sooo good! I added salt and old bay seasoning. I have this recipe a 4 stars only because the rice was definitely NOT done after 25 minutes. I had to keep leaving it on high for ten minute increments and my rice turned out really mushy which was a bummer. You should update this recipe.
This was good, but rather then use rice I just used garlic bread to mop up the juice.
I’ve had this recipe saved forever but was afraid to try it because I didn’t know how the rice would turn out in the slow cooker. Now I’m so mad at myself for not making this sooner!!! I have small kids that can’t handle spice so I used regular smoked sausage instead of cajun, but followed everything else exactly. The rice was cooked through, but not mushy and the flavor was amazing!!! Fixing it again as we speak :)
This recipe is great! I have made it several times, but this time I am cooking the sausage, onion, green pepper, and garlic in a skillet together before adding them in. Made the house smell amazing already. No chicken this time, so we are doing sausage and shrimp. Make sure it is truly bubbling before you add the rice and don’t lift the lid while it cooks. Otherwise, you’ll have crunchy rice.
Hi! Do you wash the rice before putting it into the slow cooker?
In this recipe you do not need to rinse the rice prior to cooking. Enjoy!
You once had a jambalaya recipe that you cooked on the stove. I can’t find it. :( I used that recipe quite a few times.
Hi Tracy! Shoot us an email at support@budgetbytes.com and we’ll get that for you.
Made this recipe yesterday for my boyfriend during quarantine. My local supermarket did not have Cajun sausage so we opted for hot Italian sausage which might not have been the best choice but it came out extremely good. A little on the spicy side though but still delicious. Can’t wait to make again once I find Cajun sausage!
You guys… so good. I don’t eat real meat but I skipped the chicken, used Beyond brand sausage links, and used vegetable broth and omg! So good. This meal was a treat!
Halved the recipe, used frozen vegetable medley (onions, celery, peppers), and a smaller can of fire roasted tomatoes (since my sausage wasn’t smoked), and it turned out amazing! Really nice spicy fire of a jumbalaya :) Happy to hear it freezes well, as it will make great lunches “just in case” in the coming days/weeks.
Hi Beth! If I’m going to be gone for six hours, should I add more liquid and Use the Low setting since it will be cooking for longer? Will cook the rice separately once I get home probably.
Hi Emily! I’d just cook it on low for six hours instead of on high for four hours.
Maybe this recipe worked for the author, but the rice did not at all turn out for me. In my experience, there is nowhere near enough liquid (yes, I included the juice from the diced tomatoes as indicated). Also, a slow cooker just isn’t going to cut it to cook rice. I ended up having to add another 1 to 2 cups of chicken broth at the end and transfer everything to a stock pot and simmer it on the stove to get the rice to cook and it is still a little hard.
The overall flavor is great, and I’ll probably make this again. However, be warned that the directions for the rice very likely won’t turn out well. Next time I’ll make the rice separately (probably using chicken broth instead of water for the flavor) and just mix it in at the end.
Was the liquid bubbling when you added the rice? I’ve made this a few times and a couple times I set my slow cooker on low so that I could start the recipe before going to work, but I had to make sure it was on high at the end for the rice to cook. (I don’t think it was a full on boil, but definitely bubbling.)
I want to add shrimp to this recipe. Would you add at the end, say last 30 minutes?
Yes I’d say even 15-20 depending on the size of shrimp you use.
Can you post nutritional info?!!
With and without rice please?!
Thanks for the request! We do get that request a lot, but unfortunately we don’t have a reliable source for the nutrition information. The calculators and databases that most bloggers and websites use to calculate the info can be extremely inaccurate, and for something that can so severely impact the health of people with health conditions, we just don’t feel comfortable publishing unreliable numbers. We prefer to leave it up to the reader to use the database or calculator they trust. I’m sorry and I wish accuracy were easier than shipping the food off to a lab for analysis!